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🇮🇳 India /Economy & Trade

Incoming Air India CEO vows to “Make Air India Great Again”

From Hindustan Times · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Incoming Air India CEO and Managing Director Tewolde Gebremariam told employees he would focus on safety, operational excellence and customer trust.
  • Gebremariam, who still awaits government security clearance, said he wanted to “Make Air India Great Again” and urged employees to raise safety concerns.
  • Chairman N. Chandrasekaran said the airline’s next phase would prioritize safety, customer trust, operational execution and cost discipline after a difficult 18 months.

Tewolde Gebremariam has promised to “Make Air India Great Again” as he prepares to take over the airline’s top executive role, borrowing the phrase from the United States during a town hall with employees.

I am coming from the US so allow me to borrow a phrase, MAGA. We will Make Air India Great Again.

· Tewolde GebremariamThe incoming CEO used the phrase during a town hall with Air India employees.

Gebremariam still awaits security clearance from the Indian government. He will become Air India’s chief executive and managing director once all necessary approvals are complete. He addressed staff alongside chairman N. Chandrasekaran and outgoing CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson.

The incoming executive said Air India had “a powerful heritage, a strong brand and enormous potential.” He identified safety as his foremost priority and called on employees to build a stronger safety culture. “A safety-first culture has to be our number one priority. It is not enough to say it. We must live it every day. If something is not right, stop. Every employee should feel empowered to raise concerns, and I will support that culture,” he said.

A safety-first culture has to be our number one priority. It is not enough to say it. We must live it every day. If something is not right, stop. Every employee should feel empowered to raise concerns, and I will support that culture.

· Tewolde GebremariamHe outlined safety as his main priority for the airline.

Gebremariam also stressed operational discipline, including punctual departures and arrivals, baggage delivery and clean aircraft. He said the airline needed to limit disruptions and respond professionally when they occurred. Seeking employee support for Air India’s next phase, he said, “We cannot bring about meaningful change without the commitment of our people.”

We cannot bring about meaningful change without the commitment of our people.

· Tewolde GebremariamHe asked employees to support Air India’s next phase.

Wilson welcomed his successor as a proven airline leader and said he would remain Air India’s “biggest cheerleader from the sidelines.” Chandrasekaran described the airline’s return to the Tata Group as one of the most important milestones of his career and said Air India belonged to a billion people, not just to another business. He said geopolitical disruptions, airspace closures, fuel volatility and the AI171 accident had made the previous 18 months particularly difficult.

Air India belongs to a billion people. It is not just another business.

· N. ChandrasekaranThe chairman described the airline’s significance after its return to the Tata Group.
About this summary

Originally published by Hindustan Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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